Typewriter eraser



July 12, 1960 E. s. TETERS ETAL 4 TYPEWRITER ERASER Filed June 20, 1958 Iii/I IIIIIIA INVENTORS.

EMILY S. TETERS WARREN A. AIKINS BY WILLIAM E. STRADER Emily Teters,

This invention relates to a power-operated eraser adapted to be driven by the motor of an electric typewriter or the like.

' :Objects of the invention-are to provide a convenient power-operated eraser for use by typists and the like; to 'provide an eraser driven by the typewriter motor; to

provide .an eraser which may be withdrawnfrom an operating mechanism mounted on acr -inside the typewriter itself; to provide a novel and improved mechanism for operating the eraser when it is withdrawn for useand to provide an eraser which is attached to a typewriter so that it will always be conveniently available and ready for use when needed.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the present eraser is driven by a flexible shaft wound on a spring reel to retract the shaft when the eraser is not in use. When the eraser is withdrawn for usethe rotation of the reel engages a clutch with the. typewriter motor to energize the flexible shaft and rotate'the eraser. The flexible shaft may be energized from a separate motor if desired. I p I o v p The invention will be better understood and additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of, the preferredembodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing. It is to be understood, however, that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts and that certain features'may be used without others without departing from the spirit of the invention and all such modifications within the scope of the appended claims are included in the invention. j

In the drawing: V

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view showing the eraser and handle of the present device;

. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the flexible shaft reel and automatic clutch;

Figure 3 is a perspective view in phantom of a typewriter, showing the present device mounted on the outside of the typewriter casing;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the typewriter showing the drive'connection with the typewriter motor;

Figure 5 is across sectional view of the flexible shaft reel taken on the line 55 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figures 3 and 4 show the present device mounted on the outside of a conventional typewriter. It is to be understood, however, that the device is not limited to use as an attachment since the operating mechanism may be contained within the typewriter frame instead of being mounted on the outside thereof. In Figure 3, the type writer 10 has a side plate llwhich affords support for the reel housing 12. Extending fromvan opening 113 in the reel housing 12 is a flexible shaft 14 having a handle end 15 equipped with an eraser 16 for erasing mistakes.

made by the typist. The typewriter 10 is operated by an electric motor 17. The motor 17 is provided witha shaft ;extension 18, if necessary, to connect with a drive shaft 19,.extending to, the housing 12.

.Referringnow to Figure 2, a reel Reelsupport 20 hasa boss 22 projecting inwardly through amopeninginl side plate 11 vand'equipped with a bearing '23 for the shaft 19 The end of shaft .19 is hollow to receive a cluteh. shaft -25 and clutch compression spring 26., Clutchshaft 25 isdriven by atransverse pin 27 having'ylimitedlongitudinal movement in a s1ot28in shaft 19. The outerend of clutch shaft 25 carries amale clutch cone-393. w, r i I,

jReelasupport20 is cylindrical andequipped on itsouter surface witha screw. thread 31 which 'is. engaged by an r U interiorpthread in the; reel 32. Reel 32 has an end wall- 33 supporting a bevel gear housing 35 by means of screws 36.' Bevel gear housing 35v contains a bearing 37 for a stub shaft 38 having a female clutch cone 40 on its inner end concentric with maleclutch cone 30.- The outer end of shaft 38 is equipped with a bevel gear 41.

Bevel gear 41 drives a bevel gear 42 on a transverse stub shaft 43 journaledin the housing 35. :One end of 7 spring 26 and move pin 27 away from the right end of shaft 43- is hollow to receive flexible shaft 45 v which, together with its tubular sheath 46, was referred to generally as flexibleshaft 14 in Figure 3. Driving connection is establishedbetween stub shaft 43 and flexible shaft 45 by means of a setscrew 47 in the hub ofjbevel gear 42.. The flexible shaft 14 comprising shaft portion 45 and sheath portion 46 extends through an opening 48 in the reel communicating with a continuous spiral groove 50 in the cutter surface of the reel. The reel 32 is tensioned to wind the flexible shaft into groove 50 by means of a coil spring 51 having an outer end 52 anchored in the reel support 20 and an inner end 53 anchored in the bevel gear housing 35. v I

p In Figure 2., pin .27 bears against the right end of slot 28 to: prevent clutch cone from engaging clutch cone 40,

it being remembered that the typewriter motor runs con: tinuously, causing clutch cone 30 to revolve continuously. When a predetermined length of flexible shaft 14 is withdrawn from reel 32, the screw thread 31 carries the reel to the left in Figure 2, bringing clutch cone 40' into en- 'gagement with the clutch cone 30 to drive the flexible shaft'45 within its stationary sheath 46. If a greater length of flexible shaft is withdrawn from the reel, the latter'and clutch cone 40 will move further to the left on thread '31 causing thevend of shaft 25 to compress slot 28 whereby the rotation of the reel is not limited by the engagement of the clutch.

When handle 15 is released, spring 51 rotates reel 32 to Wind theflexible shaft back into groove 50, such rotation of the reel causing it to travel axially to the right on thread 31, disengaging clutch cone 40 from clutch cone 30. Thus, the flexible shaft is not driven after it has been reeled in beyond a predetermined length and the present device does not impose a load on the typewriter motor when the typewriter is in use.

Referring now to Figure 1, the handle 15 is a hollow tube containing bearings 58 and 59 for a hollow eraser tube 60 which is secured to the end of flexible shaft 45. The outer end of eraser tube 60 is split longitudinally and equipped with a slidable lock ring 61 to contract the tube into gripping engagement with the eraser. For this purpose, the segmental end of tube 60 may be slightly thickened or otherwise provided with rampor wedging surfaces so that the end of the tube will be contracted by sliding the ring 61 downwardly. When lock ring 61 PatentedJuly 12,1969;

support 20 mounted onr'the joutsidegofyside plate 11 by means of screws 21.

chuck which will -also receive a rotary brush for cleaning the typewriter, if-desired:

Having now described OIlF lHVGHLlOII and in what ner the same may be used, what we claim as new and desire toprotect-bvliettersPatentissi 1a In a pow'er-dpe'ratedefiaser andfthe-like, aflexible shaft for driying the eraser ameel receiving saidflexibleshaft when the eraser is; not in use, and means operable by saidre'el to energize saidflexible shaftwhenthe-flexible shaft is partially withdrawn fromthe reel; In a power-operated eraser and. the like,a flexible shaft for-driving the eraser, a reel receiving said-flexible shaft-when the eraser-is notin use, aspringforrotating the reel; to wind the flexible shaft onthe'reel, and means for energizingsaid flexible shaft 'whe-n-it is-partially with drawn from the reel. 7 3

3. In a power-operated eraserand the like; a-flexible' shaft-"for operating theeraser, areel receiving said: flexible shaft when" the eraser; is not in use, areel'; support having; threaded engagement; with the reelwherebythe reel travels axially on saidsupport in winding and unwinding said flexible shaft, means for rotating said reel to Wind said flexible shaft thereon, and means operable by the axial movement ofsaid reel on said support for energizing said flexible shaft:

4*. In a power-operated eraser and the like, a flexible shaft for driving-the eraser, a reel receivingsaid flexible shaft when the eraser is not in use, a source of power, and a clutch connected with said source of power operable bysaid reel-to energize saidflexible shaft,

5; In a power-operated eraser and the like, aflexible shaft for driving the eraser, a reel receiving said flexible shaft when the eraser is not in use, a driven clutchmember carried by said reel and connected with said flexible shaft, a support for said reel, a driving clutch member carried by said support and connected with a source of power, and means operable by saidreel for engaging said,

clutch members to drive said flexible shaft.

6. In a power-operated eraser and the like, a flexible shaft for driving the eraser, a reel receiving said flexible shaft when the eraser is not in use, a driven clutch member connected with said' flexible shaft and mounted coaxially with'the reel, a support for said reelhaving screw man- - second. clutch member, and an eraser driven threaded engagement therewith whereby the reel travels I axially: on saidsupport in winding andunwindingtsaid,

flexible shaft, a source of PLQWGI', and a driving clutch member connected with said source of power and mounted in said support coaxially with'said reel and in cooperative relation with said driven clutch member so that axial movement of the reel in unwinding said flexible shaft carries the driven clutch member into engagement with the driving, clutch, member for driving said flexible shaft.

In -fan electric typewriter having an electric motor for; operating, th typevvriting; mechanism, a,- clutch memshaft, a reel receiving said flexible shaft when the eraser is not in use, a;clutchmemberconnected with said flexible engageable'with said first clutch member. by. rotation ofi' saidreel, a flexible, shaft on said reel'connected with said by, said flexible shaft.

Y 9. Ina typewriter having an electric motor for operating the typewriting. mechanism, a clutch driven by said motor, an, eraser having flexible. drive means. from said clutch, said eraser having. universal movement to.difierent erasin-gpositions. to suit the convenience of: the op-. erator, means movable in advancing or return directions to allow movement of the eraser to erasing position and to. retractsaideraser, and'means. actuated by said movable means when; moved in said advancing and returndlirecltlions to respectively engage. and disengage said 0 utc References Cited thefile o f-this patent UNITED, STATES PATENTS 2 591 15 Am n AP 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 278,616 switzerland fl Jan. 16, 1952 

